All Christians Don’t Go to Heaven

Christianity is the world’s largest religion, followed by Islam, which makes up just under 1/4 of the world population.

Looking at these statistics, one would think that Christians would have reason to be encouraged and happy that over 2 billion people self-identity as Christians.

But there is one verse in Scripture that makes me wonder if this is actually such good news.

Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. – Luke 13:23

This verse is even more serious when viewed through the lens of this one: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus is offering a solemn warning here that there are many Christians who find the narrow gate and try to get through it, but find it impossible.

Salvation happens when we put our faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood for our sin. This act of faith initiates the change that begins in the heart of a new believer in Christ.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31

But if someone prays a prayer, but is not yet convinced that he or she is a sinner, that Jesus is the Son of God, and that His blood is the final atonement for their sin, salvation has not yet occurred.

And all of the good Christian things they do and say will amount to nothing on Judgment Day.

This is my conclusion

So, while 1/3 of the world population claims to be Christian, I am left wondering just how many of those 2.1 billion people will really enter heaven.

And yet – it is not God’s will that we live in cynicism and skepticism.

So, while we must conclude that there are many Christians who have yet to have a genuine experience with Jesus Christ, we must also guard our hearts against a critical attitude.

Instead, we pray.

We pray that God will awaken the church!

We pray that the eyes of those who have heard the truth and not yet received it will be opened!

We pray that there will arise a remnant in this generation that will proclaim the truth of God’s Word with strong conviction and boldness!

Rosilind, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her hero. Together they live in the country with their 2 active boys where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an Associates of Practical Theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of A Little R & R where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.

Solid truth!
But our generation hate to hear this…..
How many escaped in Noah’s day
How many barely came out of Sodom

It gives a faint idea of how hard it is to enter in to the narrow gate. Bread and butter Christianity doesn’t do it.
Great Sister.
God blessIfeoma Samuel recently posted…Fighting For Hope Against All Odds

A wise person once told me, “Who are we to judge who is in and who is out?” (When it comes to the kingdom of heaven.) While you might base it off of outward things, God judges the heart. Saying that liberals won’t go to heaven (which I know is a loose translation of your point) sounds a little like the Pharisees. Do you notice that most of the time when Jesus mentions hell, it’s when he’s talking to them? Not when he’s talking to the prostitutes or thieves. Also, there are many other sins that the church as a whole has decided it’s okay with. Name calling? No problem? Gluttony? Eat up! Divorce? No worries. I couldn’t believe how many “Christians” on my newsfeed used the term “libtards” this election season, apparently forgetting the words of Matthew 5:22. Jesus’s love will bring people to Jesus- not Christian judgment.

While I understand what you’re saying, and agree with you to a point, I think you misunderstand the nature of the article. What I am trying to convey here is that just because we call ourselves “Christian” or self-identify with a religion doesn’t mean we’re going to heaven. We have to follow the steps prescribed in the Word of God: Repent, turn from sin, receive Christ as Lord, fulfill the commands of scripture. We must have a living, growing relationship with Christ.

Jesus did say to the sinners: “Go and sin no more”. He still called out their sin. He didn’t leave them in their sin. He confronted them just as He confronted the religious rulers, just in a different way because their hearts were different. But it doesn’t mean that we do not speak truth and the truth is that there are a lot of people who use the title “Christian” who have never had a personal encounter with Christ. If we don’t talk about this, we leave them in their lost state and do them no favors. I’d rather someone offend me with the truth than to leave me on a path to eternal destruction.

I agree with most of what you say. We should not go by our own theology, but by what God tells us. The church has been wrong on many things such as slavery, the treatment of women and interracial relationships and marriage. I do think that we should listen to why other people believe what they do, and not just dismiss them as being blind and not true Christians.

I identify as a Christian and what what makes me identify that way is that I am a believer of Christ. I think anyone who believes in God can be Christian no matter what their life is like, whether they are gay or sometimes take an easier option. Taking the narrow gate is about taking on challenges and not taking the easy way out. Not many people can do that at every challenge. I am one of the Christians that believe that the bible shouldn’t be taken word for word. For example 1 Corinthians 11 says woman should cover their heads in church and 1 Timothy 2:9-15 say woman should be silent. Or in the Old Testament where it says in Leviticus that we shouldn’t eat pig or shellfish. Not everything in the bible should be taken “word for word”. It isn’t up tous to decide who will enter heaven or not. That will be God on his terms not ours.

The problem is that as a follower of Christ, or a believer, we must also follow and believe the Word that He gave us. If we can’t take the Bible literally, then our entire faith must come into question because we now have no foundation for our faith at all. If God isn’t big or powerful enough to protect His own word, then He is not a very big or powerful God. However, if we do believe that He is all-powerful, then we must conclude that His word can be taken literally and we must then conform our lives to it.

Saying the bible must be read literally is like saying a library must be read literally. What needs clarifying is not literalism (which is not courageous or even more Christian, but lazy); all texts need interpretation (hermeneutics) and this requires the hard graft of careful reading (I recommend reading: for beginners Gordon Fee’s How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth; more advanced – Anthony Thiselton’s work in hermeneutics).
Believing in Jesus as I do does not mean I similarly believe in exactly the same way as the next Christian. There are competing tensions, theologies and traditions within the text itself, so when you talk of reading literally or based on “biblical truth”, it sounds like you’re saying everyone must read it like you do and believe it like you do and assert things as you do etc.
I know you mean well and I certainly mean no Ill will so I hope my comment is read in that vein.

I am not expecting anyone to read the Bible the way I do – I am flawed, rather read the Bible as it is written and take it at face value. Yes, we read it literally because it is the literal Word of God.

A good post, but the Title is a little misleading, I feel. Claiming to be Christian doesn’t make a person a Christian. I believe all Christians go to heaven, and those that don’t were never Christian/saved to begin with. They may have thought they were, pretended they were, given off the illusion that they were, but they weren’t/aren’t!

The reason why I chose this title is because there are those who call themselves Christians and are deceived, believing that if they just believe in God that they will go to heaven. They need to hear the truth.